Lovely writing as always. This is something I've thought about a lot lately. With the invention of time, we decided to treat every day of the year the same regardless of sunset and sunrise or temperature. Wouldn't it be better, in so many ways, to live in accordance with the seasons? Sleep more and eat dinner earlier in the Winter. Rise earlier and eat dinner later in the Summer. Rather than trying to fight each season with the same weapon (the clock), why not let nature dictate how we spend our days?
I admire your ability to write about a researched non-fiction topic without it coming across as textbook or unpersonal. It's something I struggle with while writing actionable essays about a certain protocol or test. But this is a great reminder for me that, regardless of the topic, you can always make it personal, observational, and playful.
I found this example in your footnotes one of the most impactful statements in the piece:
"The Italian artist Masaccio spent 40 years just making the door of the Duomo of Florence. Now, the idea of devoting your life to work on a single door is absurd." I agree that we currently find this absurd, which in and of itself is absurd. What an incredible life that would be, to exist in the bosom of that kind of continuity of effort and craft. But then when I think about it further, the drive that some of us have to discover Purpose, to find that unifying thread of our Reason for being here, to reveal the intended focus of our service, comes from our soul's thirst to work on a single door. Because we are uniquely equipped to create and open a door for others that no one else can build. And doing that work constitutes a good life. I really like this idea, need to do some more writing about it.
I sometimes have been frustrated that my 7 year old has no concept of relative time. After reading this I realise how lucky he is. Poor thing will learn about relative time and the passing of the hours all too soon. I enjoyed reading this thank you.
Tommy I absolutely loved this piece!! So beautifully well put. I loved the observation of something that was once a treasured item set out for everyone to see, now put away in the basement with no one to admire it. I know objects don’t feel anything but still makes me sad to think about things like that. I’m happy to hear you brought it out again, paying homage to the people who loved it before its life in storage.
One of my favourite lines this week: “Experience that turned to honey, slow and sweet. Bathed in transcendence. Like I was in on some secret. Like I’ve been complicating life for so long when it’s so simple. Like everything I need is already with me.” AHH such a lovely choice of words and a feeling I am very familiar with. Something about just sitting in nature is so surreal, which is odd since it really should be the thing that feels the most familiar to us. Sometimes I wonder if the anxiety a lot of people (including myself) experience would still exist if we didn’t live the way that we did. If I had to bet on it, I would say it wouldn’t. If you wanted to learn more about how super cool the forest really is I recommend reading The Heartbeat of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. I may have already recommended that to you but it is just so good hahahaha. One of my favourite things to do when I’m on a walk or a hike is to look up at the trees (and hope I don’t trip or walk into someone). the way their branches look against the sky is one of the prettiest things I have ever seen. Really does make you smile and feel this almost overwhelming, unexplainable feeling of love for the earth. Such a wonderful thing that we are lucky to be apart of.
I am also so down to burn all the clocks. It is so frustrating to understand and see how idiotic and backward the way we have set up the way society is supposed to run and yet not be able to do much about it. Go work an 8-5, where you will spend majority of the day not doing much and then its dark out when you get home and you have a few hours in your day to do what you want before you have to go to sleep because you have to wake up early for a job that you dont really like so that some old men can make a ton of money that they dont really need. Rant over haha but I could go on for hours!!
I too believe that modern life is better for us, but I also would love to not have an annoying alarm determine when I wake up in the morning every day!
Honestly, reading your posts are one of my favourite parts of the week.
Ps. I made my first post on here if you wanted to check it out haha! It’s nothing special but I suppose it’s a start!
I nodded all the way through this - lots of quoteable lines as well. Particularly liked the image of you chuckling at various birds in wonder. I am now considering taking up country side hiking...
when we lived on our boat in Seattle, our living room was the water....everywhere we decided to moor or drop anchor. We acknowledged living "within the rhythms of nature", something that doesn't happen as fully when living on land. <3 Time was very present in the tides, the winds, the temperatures and rocking of the boat, the birds and horizon telling us when the winds or a storm will pick up and what we were going to do, where to secure ourselves and what was it going to bring next. Loved your post today. Thanks, Tommy.
“I want to live in a way that makes me forget about time itself, because I’m drenched in the pure, vital present.”
Genius. Loved the whole thing and the way you brought it home.
Lovely writing as always. This is something I've thought about a lot lately. With the invention of time, we decided to treat every day of the year the same regardless of sunset and sunrise or temperature. Wouldn't it be better, in so many ways, to live in accordance with the seasons? Sleep more and eat dinner earlier in the Winter. Rise earlier and eat dinner later in the Summer. Rather than trying to fight each season with the same weapon (the clock), why not let nature dictate how we spend our days?
I admire your ability to write about a researched non-fiction topic without it coming across as textbook or unpersonal. It's something I struggle with while writing actionable essays about a certain protocol or test. But this is a great reminder for me that, regardless of the topic, you can always make it personal, observational, and playful.
I found this example in your footnotes one of the most impactful statements in the piece:
"The Italian artist Masaccio spent 40 years just making the door of the Duomo of Florence. Now, the idea of devoting your life to work on a single door is absurd." I agree that we currently find this absurd, which in and of itself is absurd. What an incredible life that would be, to exist in the bosom of that kind of continuity of effort and craft. But then when I think about it further, the drive that some of us have to discover Purpose, to find that unifying thread of our Reason for being here, to reveal the intended focus of our service, comes from our soul's thirst to work on a single door. Because we are uniquely equipped to create and open a door for others that no one else can build. And doing that work constitutes a good life. I really like this idea, need to do some more writing about it.
I sometimes have been frustrated that my 7 year old has no concept of relative time. After reading this I realise how lucky he is. Poor thing will learn about relative time and the passing of the hours all too soon. I enjoyed reading this thank you.
Tommy I absolutely loved this piece!! So beautifully well put. I loved the observation of something that was once a treasured item set out for everyone to see, now put away in the basement with no one to admire it. I know objects don’t feel anything but still makes me sad to think about things like that. I’m happy to hear you brought it out again, paying homage to the people who loved it before its life in storage.
One of my favourite lines this week: “Experience that turned to honey, slow and sweet. Bathed in transcendence. Like I was in on some secret. Like I’ve been complicating life for so long when it’s so simple. Like everything I need is already with me.” AHH such a lovely choice of words and a feeling I am very familiar with. Something about just sitting in nature is so surreal, which is odd since it really should be the thing that feels the most familiar to us. Sometimes I wonder if the anxiety a lot of people (including myself) experience would still exist if we didn’t live the way that we did. If I had to bet on it, I would say it wouldn’t. If you wanted to learn more about how super cool the forest really is I recommend reading The Heartbeat of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. I may have already recommended that to you but it is just so good hahahaha. One of my favourite things to do when I’m on a walk or a hike is to look up at the trees (and hope I don’t trip or walk into someone). the way their branches look against the sky is one of the prettiest things I have ever seen. Really does make you smile and feel this almost overwhelming, unexplainable feeling of love for the earth. Such a wonderful thing that we are lucky to be apart of.
I am also so down to burn all the clocks. It is so frustrating to understand and see how idiotic and backward the way we have set up the way society is supposed to run and yet not be able to do much about it. Go work an 8-5, where you will spend majority of the day not doing much and then its dark out when you get home and you have a few hours in your day to do what you want before you have to go to sleep because you have to wake up early for a job that you dont really like so that some old men can make a ton of money that they dont really need. Rant over haha but I could go on for hours!!
I too believe that modern life is better for us, but I also would love to not have an annoying alarm determine when I wake up in the morning every day!
Honestly, reading your posts are one of my favourite parts of the week.
Ps. I made my first post on here if you wanted to check it out haha! It’s nothing special but I suppose it’s a start!
I nodded all the way through this - lots of quoteable lines as well. Particularly liked the image of you chuckling at various birds in wonder. I am now considering taking up country side hiking...
when we lived on our boat in Seattle, our living room was the water....everywhere we decided to moor or drop anchor. We acknowledged living "within the rhythms of nature", something that doesn't happen as fully when living on land. <3 Time was very present in the tides, the winds, the temperatures and rocking of the boat, the birds and horizon telling us when the winds or a storm will pick up and what we were going to do, where to secure ourselves and what was it going to bring next. Loved your post today. Thanks, Tommy.
...we should all become cavepeople again...
the kundera quote 🤌 any favorites from his repertoire?